Side chair

Maker unknown · New England · 1730–50

Compared to chairs whose backposts are spindle-turned on a lathe, the backposts of this chair were sawn out. This fabrication method enabled the chairmaker to replicate the serpentine profile of more expensive mid-eighteenth-century black walnut chairs. This chair belongs to a group that shares distinctive features, including the chamfered edges on the corners of the front legs, the collar at the top of the front feet, and the ridges and grooves at the center of the side and back stretchers. Thus far, a more specific regional origin has not been established for this group.

Medium

Maple, birch

Dimensions

40.1 x 13.9 x 14 in. (101.9 x 35.2 x 35.6 cm) · max. W 18.1 in. (46 cm)

Accession

1930.2446

Credit line

Mabel Brady Garvan Collection